16 October 2008

Today is World Food Day...a day set aside by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations....

This day has been celebrated each year on October 16 since 1945. The theme for this years conference is "World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy."

I would like to thank everyone who participated in the huge success of our World Food Day event which was made possible with the help of my good blogging friend and adopted sister Ivy of Kopiaste. Thanks sis!!!!! Also I would like to thank Giz at Equal Opportunity Kitchen who has collaborated with some excellent ideas to continue this event in the months to come .

We were overwhelmed by the kind words and response of each and every one of you!!! Thank you so much for all your inspiring dishes for our conga line and wanting to join us in spreading the word worldwide!! We tried to bring the world a little closer together with dishes that represent each of our countries that would feed at least 6 . We received many recipes that were family or regional favourites that used local and perhaps seasonal ingredients. Each and every one of these dishes is a great inspiration to us all and brings to the forefront the plight of 862 million undernourished people around the world including those even in our own area of the world.

If we lay each of the 45 dishes generated by this event back to back we now have enough food to feed everyone on our street...or perhaps several streets back to back!!!!! If more people joined we could feed everyone in our city...our country...the world...you get the picture!!! A conga line of international dishes to feed the world!!!!

Our conga line does not stop here. As I mentioned above we have enough dishes to feed everyone on several streets in my city. Our ultimate goal is to feed everyone in the world so we have many more miles to go!!!!! Next month my lovely cohost Ivy of Kopiaste will host an event with a theme based on the American Thanksgiving. We would ask that you send your favourite dish, side or dessert for this holiday tradition. On Thanksgiving November 27th we will have a table set for a king and add these to our conga line of dishes.We will share in this feast together on that day!!! There are many countries around the world that do not have a Thanksgiving celebration but we all have plenty to be thankful for !!!!Perhaps you could send a dish that represents your country and we can have an international Thanksgiving. There may be another celebration that gives thanks in your culture that you would like to share with us. This will give us an opportunity to share our dishes and our traditions. Ivy will be giving you full details next week. We hope to see you there!!!!!!!!

We need a plan of attack!!! By debate and finding solutions we can solve this problem together. To find out more about what you can do in your area... visit the World Food Day site here .

Now on to the roundup to showcase your international dishes from around the globe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again thank you so much for choosing to participate in our World Food Day event!!!!!!!! Lets do the conga!!!!!!!!!!!!

(If I have missed anyone please let me know and I will add you immediately!!!!!!!! )

Our first entry is from Ivy in Athens, Greece of Kopiaste and the co-anchor of this event. Ivy has been a good friend for some time and was the perfect choice for hosting this event. She is offering us the Greek national treasure of Tyropita. Ivy says, "In Greece you can get tyropita (cheese pie) with different kinds of phyllo. Kourou has a light and flaky phyllo and a filling with only feta or a combination of feta with goat cheese, anthotyro, xynomyzithra. A combination of all these cheese takes tyropita to another level."

Next we have Giz of the mother and daughter team Equal Opportunity Kitchen blogging from Ontario, Canada . Giz has joined us with some wonderful ideas to continue this event and raise awareness in the months to come. The ladies are offering us Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers. " Giz and Psychgrad are sharing their regional wild rice dish, symbolic of how little it really takes to participating in making life a little more equal internationally. Being aware is the first step to taking action. It's our moral responsibility as human beings to help others. "

Here is another dish from my blog sister and co-host Ivy of Kopiaste to join the conga line of dishes with her Afelia with Mushrooms and Bulgur Pilaf with Vermicelli ..this time representing Cyprus. I first heard of this dish from the Cypriot couple on You Tube and have been wanting to try it myself. This dish represents Cyprus very well...way to go Ivy. I am so glad that we are friends!!!

These dishes are in the order they were received, so, the next dish is from yours truly Val at More Than Burnt Toast . I am offering True Canadian Fondue which is a family favourite here in the Burnt Toast household. Oka cheese is a truly Canadian cheese, similar to Port Salut, originally produced by Trappist Monks in the province of Quebec. It creates a silky texture that is perfect for fondue. I am overwhelmed by the response to our event. Thank you goes out to everyone who participated and to those who were made aware of the issues by your participation.

Renée of 2friends4cooking.com is representing globally...South Africa where she was born... and Rome, Italy where she lives today. She offers us an international dish Fresh tuna fish 'polpette'. She says," Tuna fish or any kind of fish is found mostly all over the world so this recipe can be made with any local fish. Polpette or balls of either meat, fowl or fish are a stable food all over the world, i.e. a few go a long way. I learnt to cook in the Italian Maremma where nothing is wasted and when you know how to look there is a lot of food for free in the countryside, and from my mother who always taught us in South Africa that the products of Mother Earth are Sacred."

Our next entry is from our good friend Jenn from Leftover Queen blogging from the U.S.A. Jenn is an advocate of many causes and is always there to encourage everyone. Thanks Jenn for your support. She brings us Three Sisters Casserole with Fry Bread . Jenn says, " I created this dish to honor the time I spent on the Dine' (Navajo) reservation in 1998. Since the Dine’ are environmentalists who revere Mother Earth as the core of their culture whilst many of them don’t even have electricity or running water where they live, I felt food that reflects their culture and relationship to the Earth and the planet would be appropriate here."

Hopie of Hopies Kitchen grew up in the USA but currently lives a dream life in Paris. For our conga line of dishes she offers us a wonderful dish Coq au Vin in English and here in French. She says,"In order to represent France and also my own background, I have chosen a traditional French dish based on a recipe by an English man and translated into American and adapted by me! It's not photogenic, but it can easily feed six or more and tastes delicious. I'm happy to join this chain of dishes to feed the world."

Our good friend Nuria of Spanish Recipes is representing her country of Spain with a delicious Catalan dish Cassoleta d'Alberginia i Butifarra . Nuria will probably be at the head of the conga line with her cooking spoons and whisks. Nuria says,"Nobody should suffer from hunger! My grandparents did during the war and right after, my parents also faced that problem. I feel so grateful... I'm fortunate. I wish everybody could have a plate with good food on their tables twice a day minimum. I hope that the Event is a great success!!!Ciao Bellas"

Next we have 3 Malaysian dishes from our good friend and family man Dharm of Dad-Baker & Chef . Dharm has sent along Satay , Nasi Lemak and Kangkung Belacan all of which are excellent additions to represent Malyasian cuisine. Dharm says, "There are far too many poor people with little or no food in the world while those of us that have access to proper food sometimes over indulge and waste food. It is shocking to know that some people live on less than US$1 a day! Sad but true. If only governments spent more on humanitarian aid rather than on weapons and warfare. Something to think about isn’t it?" For more visit his post here.

Ben of What's Cooking brings us this delicious Adobo Chicken for our conga line of international dishes. I know how much Ben loves to dance so he will probably be the anchor of our conga line. He is an excellent ambassador and advocate of Mexican cuisine and a good friend. Ben says, "Adobo is a Mexican spice mix that is used to marinate pork, chicken or turkey. It is a kind of mole, one of our more representative dishes in Mexico." Thanks for representing Mexico so well Ben!

Maria, a first generation Greek American, of Kali Orexi (which means "Good Appetite") has afforded me the opportunity to share this dish representing Greece and its traditions with Phylla from Kalymnos. Maria says, "These Phylla (grape leaves stuffed with ground meat and rice) are a recipe my Giagia (that's Greek for grandmother) used for over 50 years. Growing up, they were a staple at Sunday dinners. Everyone, everywhere should enjoy a warm family meal that symbolizes so much more than sustenance and this is my virtual contribution. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and I."

N33ma over at Recipe Swap has brought over Vegetable Pulao for our conga line of dishes. Thanks N33ma for always being there to make my day a little brighter and submitting a dish that's represents India so well. N33ma says,"I chose to make Vegetable Pulao because rice is the staple dish of most people in India and also many people are vegetarians.The vegetable used are from a local farmers market too."

Dharm at Dad-Baker & Chef wants to feed the world singlehandedly with all these delicious Malaysian dishes. Thank you so much Dharm for all your support and adding Sambar to our conga line. Dharm, his lovely wife and 2 young children now each have a dish to contribute this being the 4th dish submitted. Way to go and thank you so much for being such a great friend!!!! Dharm says, "Sambar is just perfect eaten with rice or even flatbreads. A delicious and very nutritious food, it goes a long way and is the perfect food to serve for a lot of people. So what better dish to serve for World Food Day??!!"

Next in the conga line is Rosie representing Lincolnshire, United Kingdom from Rosie Bakes a Piece of Cake . Rosie is a very supportive blogger and such a sweetie. Today she brings Beef Stew & Cheesy Dumpling . Rosie says, "Beef Stew & Dumpling, is a typical traditional dish that is eaten mostly during the autumn and winter months to help ward off the bitter cold. This dish I learnt to cook stood at my mother’s side as a child. Stew is a wonderful dish that doesn’t need much looking after once in the oven but the taste it imparts is well worth the initial preparation, and it’s pure unadulterated comfort food." This is truly comfort food at its best Rosie and represents the UK very well.

Sarah is an entrepreneurial young lady also from my old stomping grounds of Ontario, Canada. On her blog What Smells So Good? she brings us Kale, White Bean and Garlic Stew . Sarah says, "I think this event is a great idea to help raise the awareness of just how much need there is in our community for food banks and social assistance, as well as giving us all ideas for economical meals in this time of recession!! Thanks!" We appreciate your support Sarah!!!!!

Kittie over at Kittens in the Kitchen joins our conga line of international dishes with her delicious Lentil and Ham Hock Soup. Kittie says,"This is my Scottish contribution to World Food Day - and warm and hearty lentil and ham hock soup. Nutritious, tasty and cheap - feed the street!Thanks for hosting such a great event - I've seen some wonderful entries in the blogosphere so far - it's going to be a great round up!" I can envision Kittie wanting to feed her entire street with this dish!!!!

Deepika from Recipe4Deesaster is representing India very well with Fortified Chapatti . Thank you for adding this classic to our attempt to feed the world. Deepika says, " A chapatti is an unleavened flatbread that is rich in protein. It is quintessentially an Indian food, that can be eaten plain or with any simple or elaborate curry. Since my blog is focused on diabetic cooking, I've shared the daily recipe I make at home which uses various flours to increase fiber content, which in turn slows the release of glucose in the blood, and at the same time provides nourishment."

Deeba our blog sister from Passionate About Baking brings us a delicious Indian dish for our awareness project. She loves the idea that it has "fenuGREEK" as an ingredient...how perfect is that...we both are great advocates for Greek food!!!!! India Chicken Curry with Fenugreek is perfect for the event!!! Deeba says, "This curry celebrates the arrival of winter in Northern India & uses a seasonal fresh, green herb called 'Fenugreek', & supports the 'eat local produce' movement. The WFD event hosted by Val & Ivy goes a long way to increase awareness for the enormous burden of hunger & malnutrition in todays world. Coupled with rising food prices, poverty & global warming, it's a pertinent cause that all of us can positively contribute to in our little ways... The time is NOW!! "

Jen of A2EatWrite is blogging from the USA. She offers us Apple Maple Corn Muffins for our World Food Day event. Jen says,"I wanted to come up with a dish that not only reflects my country, but also reflects my own principles in terms of hunger. So I wanted to create something that reflects local products and can be made with food stuffs produced within Michigan, preferably, within a 50-mile radius and by farmers who follow sustainable agriculture practices.Thanks for creating this event - it's so important! "Read more about what you can do in your area from this list that Jen has compiled. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for raising more awareness Jen!!

Dee of Choos & Amps;Chews is bringing Bacon Fried Rice with Anchovies ,a delicious and hearty Malaysian addition to our table. Dee says,"Thank you for organizing this very meaningful event. Sometimes we get too caught up in our ivory kitchens, and forget thatthere's a world out there that isn't as blessed as we are. Thank youfor reminding me to give thanks for the good in my life.Fried rice is a staple in Malaysian lives, and one that transcendsracial and social demographics. It's a dish I grew up eating, and it'salso one that can wear many faces.I hope my Fried Rice with Bacon & Anchovies manages to contribute alittle more awareness to the plight of world hunger."

Ning is sending her international dish from Manila in thePhilippines. Her blog Heart and Hearth is full of so many wonderful dishes. For our conga line she is bringing Pork Stew (Adobo) with Mushrooms. Ning says, " Adobo is usually the first dish that every Filipino learns to cook. This is of course because it is a very common and very popular dish here in the Philippines. It is almost considered a national dish. It is simple and very easy to make, and yet very flavorful and tasty, perfectly paired with a steaming bowl of rice. Every Filipino family has his/their own version of Adobo, often with the secret recipe handed down throughout generations.This is a worthy cause to support. One earth, one people, one dish at a time."

Adam over at Baking with Dynamite brings us this Polish Comfort Kapusta to add to our growing lineup of international dishes. Adam is from the States and says,"As the days grow colder, this is a perfect dish to warm a family up with. The strong love affair among cabbage, mushrooms, pork, and spices, make this a dish an absolute hit. Wake up a half hour early, throw this in the slow cooker, and by the time you come home from work, your family will have a delicious heart meal to be served with bread."

Mansi is sending us this dish from India from her blog Fun and Food Cafe .Chana Masala also known as Chhole Masala is a beautiful representation of her area of the world. Mansi says," It is made from garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, cooked in creamy spicy gravy flavored with authentic Indian spices. I think it is the easiest Indian curry to make - just add boiled chickpeas to a saucepan, add the gravy and let it simmer on slow heat as the lentils absorb the flavor of the spices. Slow-cooking induces a lot of flavor as the chickpeas become soft. This is a great way to incorporate lentils in your diet. High in proteins, low in fat, and high in flavor, Chana Masala is a recipe that will click with you instantly!"

Bee and Jai (born in India) and now living in the USA of Jugalbandi Jugalbandi sent us this wonderfully aromatic dish Niramish . They say, "This post has a recipe and a book review. The dish is from Bangladesh, from a book called Mangoes and Curry Leaves by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. It highlights the philosophy underlying the cuisines of the common people in the Indian Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan.) Eating sustainably. Using local ingredients that are in season and largely outside the industrialised food chain. It would imply avoiding waste and giving up the promiscuous mindset that expects strawberries in December. Eating sensibly. Regarding food as 'nourishment' rather than an addiction, where nutrition and portion control are priorities."

Alexandra of Alexandra's Kitchen dishes up Caramelized Onion, Grape & Gorgonzola Pizza for our World Food Event. Alexandra says,"This pizza is a tried-and-true recipe that my family has been making for years. I wanted to submit a recipe for WFD that was (a) delicious,(b) foolproof and,(c) inexpensive to prepare. This recipe fits thebill on all levels. The world food crisis is something I have been really trying to understand these past nine months. (I wrote a blogentry in August on this subject here.I was shocked to learn that 100 million people currently are at risk of joining the one billion people on the planet living on $1 a day.Raising awareness of this crisis is so important. I regret that I have not been able thus far to pitch in either financially or by helping a local food bank. This event you have created has inspired me to take a more proactive stance. So thank you for your efforts!"

Prudy of Prudence Pennywise has brought Roasted Tomato Sausage and Three Cheese Pizza to our conga line from the USA. Prudy says, " What makes this pizza extra special are the sweet little roasted tomatoes, spicy Italian sausage and the small sprinkle of savory feta and parmesan to balance the flavors. Don't forget to support your local area with donations. Times are tough so save a little money so you can share a little with others."

Peter G of Souvlaki for the Soul lives in Australia and brings us a classic dish from his Greek heritage. Stuffed peppers or Gemista are a perfect recipe to feed a family for our event. Peter says, "Feeding the world the Greek way. Plentiful stuffed sweet red peppers a.k.a "gemista." Thank you so much for representing your corner of the world with such a delicious dish for our conga line!!!!!!

Goofball of Goofball's World brings us enough virtual food to feed 3 families with her delicious Belgian Waffles,Bread Pudding and Pumpkin Soup with Dill. We are thrilled that you wanted to participate with these hearty and seasonal dishes from Belgium. Goofball says, "Immediately I had to think of the Belgian waffles that we have baked last week. So I am reposting it once again." We are so pleased that you have sent these three dishes for our conga line!!!!!

Hélène is a fellow Canadian and good friend blogging from her kitchen with La Cuisine d'Hélène . She brings a delicious Chicken Curry to our conga line of international dishes. Some day I hope we can get together and share this dish. Hélène says, " This dish is a favorite in our home and can feed more than six persons. We like to serve it with rice & mango salsa. I hope someday we will put an end to hunger in the World." We hope so too!!!!!!

PG brings us another delicious dish from Germany on her blog Kitchen Stories. We are delighted to receive such dishes as Pumpkin Baked with Potatoes for our World Food Day event. Our conga line is getting longer each and every day.PG says,"Something about it : It is one of our family favorites and going with the theme of this year's world food day : Global warming and Bioenergy, both the vegetables (potatoes and pumpkin) were organic and bought locally. Buying local produce as much as possible is our small way of showing that we care for the environment and that we need to take global warming and it's consequensces seriously."

Michelle is blogging from Southern Italy with her site Bleeding Espresso. We are so thankful that she sent over this Italian comfort food Baked Pasta with Eggplant. This dish represents what our event is all about so well!!! Michelle says," This dish combines traditional southern Italian ingredients including eggplant, pancetta, mozzarella, fresh basil, and of course, pasta, and is great to feed a bunch of people. I'm honored to have it represent southern Italy for World Food Day."

Goofball of Goofballs World wanted to submit another couple of recipes for our conga line of international dishes. She represented Belgium the last submission but is now presenting Moroccan fare to the lineup. Within the rules you could also submit a recipe that is a family favourite and I can see why Beeftajine with Apples and Raisins and Warm Eggplant Salad would be just that!!!!!!

Cathy at Noble Pig is offering her wonderful dessert into our conga line of international dishes . What is a feast without dessert!!!!Apple Cranberry Cobblers are a perfect choice for feeding a family of 6. We are so happy you decided to join our event Cathy!!!!! She says," The objectives of World Food Day are to heighten our awareness to world hunger and bring to our attention what we can do about it personally. We're going to need dessert at this event!"

My good blogging friend Susan blogs from the USA from her site Food Blogga. She is bringing an old comfort food with a new and healthy twist to our event. Thank you so much Susan for submitting Orange Cauliflower Mac n' Cheese to our event!!!Susan says, "This healthier mac n' cheese recipe loses most of the fat and cholesterol of traditional mac 'n cheese but holds onto the creaminess and flavor that make it an American favorite. Plus, it's an easy way to get your kids to eat their cauliflower."

Soma is a fellow blogger now residing in Texas, USA. From her blog eCurry she sends us a dish representing India Labra: A Festive Combination of Vegetables and Spices . Soma says, "When it if fall time here, we celebrate the biggest religious festival of West Bengal (India): Durga Puja, along with it - the community celebration, and that - very special food. The food culture is interrelated to the Religion & during the 5/6 days of the religious celebration is also a celebration of food. The food cooked in the communal kitchen is first offered to the Goddess Durga after the morning prayers, & this is called "bhog". The classics of the puja are very humble dishes, mostly seasonal & very basic to the daily Bengali Kitchen. But the extravagant pleasure comes from the communal eating, where everyone, from all levels of life sit together to eat food.I present here one of the very common dishes cooked at the communal kitchen. Its called "Labra" ( in the local laguage) and its a Combination of seasonal Vegetables and Spices. The dish may contain up to 15 different seasonal vegetables. I also need to mention that the "bhog" which the community shares after being offered is all vegetarian (Niramish), not even Onion, or Garlic is used."

Sangeeth intrigues us with her blog Art of Cooking Indian Food blogging from India. She is bringing Mint/Pudina Pulao/Fried Rice as a final dish to our round up of delcious dishes to feed the hungry. Sangeeth says," I am really very happy to be a part of this event. Feeding the needy is the best thing you can ever do. I believe it is a good karma. For this wonderful event, I am sending in Mint rice which is my favorite and can be served for lunch or dinner."

Faery is blogging from Venezuela with Faery's Kitchen . Thank you so much for sending a dish for our conga line from Venezuela!!!!!!She offers us Venezuelan Bread to feed the hungry. Faery says, "The dish is the national corn bread, in this picture the arepa is filled with white cheese and butter but the filling may be anything you like.I would like to say that I want a clean green and blue world but the idea of biofuel is a double-edge razor, I also want a world where all living creatures have food and be healthy."

Dell is a last minute, but very welcome, entry from, Melbourne Australia. Her blog Cooking and the City is full of tasty dishes. She brings us Meat & Veggie Pasties. Thank you so much Dell for this delicious and international dish to add to our conga line. Join us in spreading information and solutions around the world!!!

Jude from The Philippines offers us delicious recipes from her blog Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate. For our conga line she brings this delicious dish Baby Back Pork Ribs Adobo . We so appreciate you wanting to participate Jude and for representing the Philiipines so deliciously!!! Jude says, " This Filipino recipe for baby-back ribs is braised in soy, garlic, and vinegar." Jude posted her recipe in the evening on the 16th...but I blog early in the morning...that is why Jude is showing up fashionably late for the conga line. Good thing the party was happening all day!!!

Becke is our final foodie blogging from the USA from her blog Columbus Foodie She brings up the tail end of our conga line with a delicious recipe for an American classic Chicken Tetrazzini. Becke says, "A new discovery of a classic American dish leads to Chicken Tetrazzini overdose." Becke also showed up fashionably late through no fault of her own as I started this party at 7:30 AM. Thank you so much Becke for wanting to participate in this event and bringing such a flavourful and classic dish!!!!!! We appreciate your contribution so much!!

59 comments:

What a wonderful roundup, Val. But what I like the most about it is the awareness it is creating about this problem. I need to visit each one of those fabulous bloggers and read more about their amazing dishes.

Sis, this was indeed a lovely roundup and I just realized that we had so many entries. If I did not manage to visit all of them and thank them personally, I thank them now and I shall make amends soon. Hope that all our friends will continue to share our enthusiasm and will send another lovely dish for our Thanksgiving Event and even those who have not managed to participate now will join us, as I am sure we all have a reason to be thankful for something in our life.

Salute to you lovely ladies. This has been an eye opener of sorts & an important way to spread the word. Saw a news report on BBC Asia this afternoon which reported that 50% of Indian children are malnutritioned as they donot have access to a balanced diet of any sort. Was heart-breaking to see the images...food & poverty are so closely linked. You've done well to highlight something so as basic as this.On another note, i have to add that all the dishes are fabulous & the round-up ROCKS!! Thank you.

Wow, so many wonderful-looking dishes and supportive sentiments! Thanks for hosting this event Ivy and Val, great job. I posted a reminder about it today on my blog so people will come check out the roundup!

Excellent round up ladies! I'm looking forward to seeing how many communities the WFD conga line can feed over the long term. This looks like a great start and I can see that you put a lot of time into it.

Oh my gosh! This is the best conga line ever! First, the theme of this round up really warmed my heart and I'm certain it raised awareness for such a noble cause. Next, the entrees were absolutely amazing. I started making a list of all that I liked, and realized that I liked them all! Each one is fantastic. There are many dishes that are completely new to me, and I love trying new foods! YUM!

An amazing round-up!! Val, Ivy & Giz many thanks ladies for bring my attention and awareness of what is sadly happening in the world today! I can only say I am extremely fortunate to have not felt the pangs of hunger that some unfortunate people have! I salute you wonderful ladies!!

Thank you for a wonderful round-up! Thank you for the very kind words in the write-ups, too! and congratulations on this successful event! With so many entries, you have indeed successfully raised awareness on this worthy cause. Looking forward to the monthly events. :)

Awesome job with the roundup! All the photos look so delicious! As I was going through the photos, I noticed Michelle from Bleeding Espresso lives in Calabria, which is where my parents come from. I was so happy that I'm not the only one with roots in Calabria. :-)I just contacted her... thanks for posting her recipe.

I had so wanted to contribute to this very important issue, but it was not to be. Happily I still get to enjoy all these fabulous recipes and add some new ideas for answering the eternal question, what's for dinner. Thanks Val and Ivy for such a great job!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.